Concerns over surface pathogens on meat have been elevated in recent years due to E-coli related illnesses and deaths. In response, the USDA has imposed regulations and recommendations on food preparers to increase the likelihood that surface pathogens are killed prior to consumption. For example, restaurants must cook hamburger at 160° Fahrenheit throughout.
These end user regulations have been made in an attempt to address a microbiological issue that begins during meat processing. During the slaughter and fabrication processes, Escherichia coli (“E. coli”), other coliform bacteria, as well as other pathogens may occasionally reside on the surface of the meat carcass. These pathogens may originate from fecal matter and other contaminants on the surface of the meat. To prevent delivery of contaminated meat to the consumer, the distributor, or the retailer, these pathogens are destroyed or removed prior to packaging and shipping. If such contaminants are not removed, it is then left to the consumer or preparer of the meat to address the problem of destroying the pathogens. By this time, the bacteria may have multiplied on the surface and throughout the meat. This is especially the case with ground meat, because the surface pathogens are distributed throughout the meat during the grinding process.
To reduce the number of surface pathogens, many meat processing facilities employ steam pasteurization treatment of carcass sides prior to fabrication. A typical steam pasteurization process includes removing surface water from the meat, directing steam at the meat to heat the surface to an appropriate level and cooling the meat to prevent scorching or localized cooking. Such steam pasteurization techniques are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,291,003, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Steam Pasteurization of Meat,” issued Sep. 18, 2001, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,005, entitled “Apparatus for Steam Pasteurization of Meat,” issued Nov. 2, 1999.
These prior art steam pasteurization techniques, however, lack an adequate cooling process. Inadequate cooling of the meat after exposure to steam may result in scorching or cooking of the carcass surface meats. Such scorching or cooking results in an undesirable discoloration of the meat, which has a negative impact on consumers.
There is a need in the art for a system and method of rapidly cooling the lean surfaces of a carcass after exposure to steam to prevent scorching or cooking of the meat. There is a further need for a carcass cooling system adapted to reach interior muscles of the meat carcass.